Gravity (Taking Trilogy, #1)

by Melissa West

[Angie]

In my grand attempt to read all of Entangled’s books, and read more Sci-Fi, I picked up Gravity. It wasn’t quite what I was expecting, but I still really enjoyed it. It’s an interesting combination of Dystopian, Science Fiction, and Paranormal Romance. However, these genres weren’t blended as well as they could have been. It all starts out with us being introduced to this futuristic world, where aliens–aka Ancients–are trying to live in harmony with humans. In exchange for using their abilities and technology to heal Earth, the Ancients take antibodies from human hosts in order to survive on the planet. Of course, a gorgeous teenage alien is assigned to Ari, our main character, and it’s up to them to save both species from an impending war. But which side is in the right: the humans wanting to take back their planet, or the aliens who want a new place to live?

I really liked the world that author created for Gravity. It’s very different than what I’ve read before, although it does have some recycled elements. Humans have essentially ruined our planet, so the Ancients move in and agree to help in exchange for a new planet since theirs is supposedly not doing so well either. There’s lots of fun and interesting technology in this future, too, but I wish we had gotten more information about how it works or how it came about. Lots of terms are thrown around and we’re just expected to understand what they are. I did have several questions about the agreement between the humans and aliens regarding the earth though. It’s mentioned that food was nearly impossible to grow so pills were invented to keep people nourished, but the aliens were supposed to heal the Earth as part of the agreement, thus allowing food to be grown. Then there was a brief mention about laws concerning the lack of food production, so I was never sure if the food situation was political or natural. More world-building and clarifications were definitely needed.

One thing that I really liked that sets Gravity apart from other Young Adult novels, is how involved Ari’s parents are. Her father is the Commander, and she is the heir to his position, so he personally trains her in combat. He’s quite hard on her, and it’s clear that they’re not as close as they could be. Ari’s mother, on the other hand, is very sweet and involved in Ari’s everyday life. She worries when Ari’s school is attacked and tries to get her to stay home, but ultimately lets her make her own decisions. She cooks, shares feelings, and actively cares for her throughout the entire book. She’s even there for discipline when Ari isn’t home when she says she will be! There’s no Disappearing Parent Syndrome here!

The romance was a bit lacking in Gravity though. It’s obvious that Ari and Jackson will be together, but I don’t really buy it. I liked how they “met” though, since it was certainly different. However, I never trusted him. He even admits that he can’t be trusted. Ari is human, and he is Ancient. He’s actually an Ancient spy, so of course he wants information from a leader’s daughter. Ari falls for him anyway. They have some steamy scenes together, but I never really believed their chemistry at all. Jackson also doesn’t have much personality, and he’s quite evasive to all of Ari’s questions, so we don’t get to know him that well either. He is hiding something though, which becomes quite clear in the last chapter, so I am eager to know what that is.

Gravity is a weird one. It has a lot of fun Sci-Fi elements and some worrisome Dystopian elements. There is romance, but it failed to pulled me. The world is really interesting even though there are quite a few holes in the set up, but I have a feeling we’ll learn a lot more in the second book. I liked Ari for the most part. She’s tough but also compassionate, and she’s struggling to decide if betraying her species for the greater good is worth it, since there is a risk of failure. The plot was a lot of fun, and it does end on a cliffhanger. It’s not a huge one, but it was enough to make me excited to pick up Hover.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.